Egypt's Mubarak to stay in army hospital as health worsens

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt’s deposed leader Hosni Mubarak, who is serving a life sentence for his role in killing protesters during a 2011 revolt, will stay in an army hospital for at least two weeks after his health deteriorated, his lawyer said on Friday.

The state of Mubarak’s already fragile health has been the subject of intense speculation in Egypt and he has spent much of the time before and after his trial in various hospitals.

On Thursday evening, the 84-year-old former leader was transferred to an army hospital from his prison clinic after fracturing a rib in a recent fall.

“He will stay in the hospital for about 15 days,” Mohamed Abdel Razek, his lawyer, told Reuters.

“The president’s health is stable, thank God. He underwent X-rays on his body and now he will get proper treatment in the hospital for all his bone problems he has been suffering from.”

Mubarak was toppled after 30 years in power and sentenced to life in prison in June this year. He was admitted to a prison hospital that same month following what security officials described at the time as a “health crisis”.

During his trial, Mubarak, the first Arab ruler to be brought to court by his own people, was routinely wheeled into the cage used for defendants in Egyptian courts on a hospital gurney.

He has not spoken publicly about the events that followed his downfall, saying almost nothing at his trial appearances beyond confirming his presence and denying the charges against him.

Mubarak’s legal team had been pressing to have him moved from the prison hospital to a better-equipped facility permanently, saying he was not receiving adequate treatment.

But there has been some confusion over the exact nature of his ailments, with state media reporting a variety of illnesses ranging from shortage of breath to heart attacks and comas.